Pages

Sunday, December 25, 2011

THC Show on http://UNregularradio.com with guests Rick Cusick from High Times and Adam from Prospect Hill.
Discussing news on MassCann/NORML's MA marijuana legalization poll and Prospect Hill new CD "Impact" and their big Wilbur Theare show. Also discuss Carmelita, Bay State Rock WAAF.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

IF you are ever on a jury in a marijuana case, I recommend that you vote “not guilty” — even if you think the defendant actually smoked pot, or sold it to another consenting adult. As a juror, you have this power under the Bill of Rights; if you exercise it, you become part of a proud tradition of American jurors who helped make our laws fairer.

The information I have just provided — about a constitutional doctrine called “jury nullification” — is absolutely true. But if federal prosecutors in New York get their way, telling the truth to potential jurors could result in a six-month prison sentence.

Earlier this year, prosecutors charged Julian P. Heicklen, a retired chemistry professor, with jury tampering because he stood outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan providing information about jury nullification to passers-by. Given that I have been recommending nullification for nonviolent drug cases since 1995 — in such forums as The Yale Law Journal, “60 Minutes” and YouTube — I guess I, too, have committed a crime.

The prosecutors who charged Mr. Heicklen said that “advocacy of jury nullification, directed as it is to jurors, would be both criminal and without constitutional protections no matter where it occurred.” The prosecutors in this case are wrong. The First Amendment exists to protect speech like this — honest information that the government prefers citizens not know.

Laws against jury tampering are intended to deter people from threatening or intimidating jurors. To contort these laws to justify punishing Mr. Heicklen, whose court-appointed counsel describe him as “a shabby old man distributing his silly leaflets from the sidewalk outside a courthouse,” is not only unconstitutional but unpatriotic. Jury nullification is not new; its proponents have included John Hancock and John Adams.

The doctrine is premised on the idea that ordinary citizens, not government officials, should have the final say as to whether a person should be punished. As Adams put it, it is each juror’s “duty” to vote based on his or her “own best understanding, judgment and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court.”

In 1895, the Supreme Court ruled that jurors had no right, during trials, to be told about nullification. The court did not say that jurors didn’t have the power, or that they couldn’t be told about it, but only that judges were not required to instruct them on it during a trial. Since then, it’s been up to scholars like me, and activists like Mr. Heicklen, to get the word out.

Nullification has been credited with helping to end alcohol prohibition and laws that criminalized gay sex. Last year, Montana prosecutors were forced to offer a defendant in a marijuana case a favorable plea bargain after so many potential jurors said they would nullify that the judge didn’t think he could find enough jurors to hear the case. (Prosecutors now say they will remember the actions of those jurors when they consider whether to charge other people with marijuana crimes.)

There have been unfortunate instances of nullification. Racist juries in the South, for example, refused to convict people who committed violent acts against civil-rights activists, and nullification has been used in cases involving the use of excessive force by the police. But nullification is like any other democratic power; some people may try to misuse it, but that does not mean it should be taken away from everyone else.

How one feels about jury nullification ultimately depends on how much confidence one has in the jury system. Based on my experience, I trust jurors a lot. I first became interested in nullification when I prosecuted low-level drug crimes in Washington in 1990. Jurors here, who were predominantly African-American, nullified regularly because they were concerned about racially selective enforcement of the law.

Across the country, crime has fallen, but incarceration rates remain at near record levels. Last year, the New York City police made 50,000 arrests just for marijuana possession. Because prosecutors have discretion over whether to charge a suspect, and for what offense, they have more power than judges over the outcome of a case. They tend to throw the book at defendants, to compel them to plead guilty in return for less harsh sentences. In some jurisdictions, like Washington, prosecutors have responded to jurors who are fed up with their draconian tactics by lobbying lawmakers to take away the right to a jury trial in drug cases. That is precisely the kind of power grab that the Constitution’s framers were so concerned about.

In October, the Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, asked at a Senate hearing about the role of juries in checking governmental power, seemed open to the notion that jurors “can ignore the law” if the law “is producing a terrible result.” He added: “I’m a big fan of the jury.” I’m a big fan, too. I would respectfully suggest that if the prosecutors in New York bring fair cases, they won’t have to worry about jury nullification. Dropping the case against Mr. Heicklen would let citizens know that they are as committed to justice, and to free speech, as they are to locking people up.

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Write a Point-by-Point Rebuttal to NORML's Point-by-Point Rebuttal of the White House's Reply to the Marijuana Petition.
This Administration's response to the "Legalize and Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol" petition has been criticized by many to be both patronizing and insufficient. The most notable critique, perhaps, has been published by Russ Belville of NORML, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, as linked below:

http://bit.ly/rRMMYP

In his rebuttal, Belville argues that not only does the White House's response ignore decades of scientific evidence, but ultimately fails to even answer the two questions posed by the petition in the first place.

We the People demand that the current White House Administration produce a full, point-by-point rebuttal to NORML's article that is every bit as thorough, reasoned and scientific as Russ Belville's. We expect nothing less.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Reporting from secret farms and not-so-secret grow houses of marijuana cultivators, Lisa Ling goes into their world -- where marijuana is not just a drug but a way of life. From the series Explorer on National Geographic aired in December 2008.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Cannabis is the world's favourite drug, but also one of the least understood. Can cannabis cause schizophrenia? Is it addictive? Can it lead you on to harder drugs? Or is it simply a herb, an undervalued medicine?

Addiction specialist Dr John Marsden discovers that modern science is finally beginning to find answers to these questions. John traces the cannabis plants' birthplace in Kazakhstan; finds the origins of our sensitivity to cannabis in the simple sea squirt; and finds out just what it does to our brains.

He meets people who have been changed by this drug in drastically different ways -- from those whose lives have been shattered to those who lives have been revived.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

More states are permitting the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and the Obama administration has signaled relaxed enforcement of the industry in those states. Now, a new generation of marijuana entrepreneurs has emerged across America. They come from the unlikely fields of finance, politics, medicine and law, and they want to claim a stake in this modern day gold rush.

CNBC's "Marijuana USA" goes inside a flourishing medical pot industry. In Colorado, the demon weed is rebranded as a natural herbal remedy with healing powers that even respectable citizens can enjoy. We meet two restaurant owners who are about to launch a new line of cannabis-infused edibles. And, we'll go inside a clinic where marijuana is almost always the doctor's order.

In this bold new era of greater marijuana acceptance, the business still remains in violation of federal laws. But, the entrepreneurs have asked to be regulated, licensed and taxed -- just like any other trade. After more than seventy years as an illegal drug, is it possible that marijuana's moment has arrived?

Monday, November 28, 2011

In the second episode, James explores the hidden world of organised crime linked to the supply of cannabis in the UK, following a police drug squad and the UK Border Agency as they target gangs and smugglers. He meets the casualties of the drugs trade, including a 14-year-old addict who has convictions for burglary to fund his habit and a Vietnamese teenager smuggled into Britain by lorry to work in British cannabis farms to supply the huge demand.

Ex-EastEnders star James Alexandrou was caught smoking cannabis by the tabloids when he left the soap. Now he wants to find out the truth about the most popular illegal drug in Britain, see the lengths people will go to get it and discover exactly where it comes from.

"When We Grow...This Is What We Can Do" is an educational documentary concerning the facts about cannabis. In this feature length documentary we explore everything there is, from industrial hemp to medicinal cannabis use, from the origins of cannabis prohibition to the legality of growing equipment.
A film by Seth Finegold and presented by Luke Bailey.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

"Marijuana prohibition is – without question – a failed policy," the former mayors wrote. "It is creating violent, gang-related crime in our communities and fear among our citizens, and adding financial costs for all levels of government at a time when we can least afford them. Politicians cannot ignore the status quo any longer; they must develop and deliver alternative marijuana policies that avoid the social and criminal harms that stem directly from cannabis prohibition."

The ex-mayors' intervention comes as the Canadian federal government of Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper is attempting to push through a crime bill that would, among other things, impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for growing as few as five plants. But that's not a popular position in British Columbia, where a recent Angus Reid poll had support for taxing and regulating marijuana at 69%. It is past time for elected officials to get on board the marijuana reform bandwagon, the ex-mayor's said.

"Clearly, elected officials are out of step with their public on marijuana prohibition," they wrote. "It is time that elected officials enter the debate and deliver specific proposals to address the easy availability of cannabis to youth and the organized crime concerns stemming directly from cannabis prohibition."

Clearing the Smoke, reveals how cannabis acts on the brain and in the body to treat nausea, pain, epilepsy and potentially even cancer.

Extensive interviews with patients, doctors, researchers and skeptics detail the promises and the limitations of medicinal cannabis. Even though the video has an American perspective, marijuana use is illegal throughout many countries of the world for reasons that are not clear.

This video is important because it mainly investigates the scientific basis underlying the medical benefits of marijuana use instead of focusing on the social, political and legal hysteria that have been attached to it.

The paper mentioned in this video, Marihuana Reconsidered, was published in book form. The author, Dr Lester Grinspoon, is the world's leading authority on marijuana. In this book, Dr Grinspoon examines — and debunks — many of the common misconceptions about marijuana.

MontanaPBS Presents: Clearing the Smoke: The Science of Cannabis.
www.watch.montanapbs.org/video/1825223761/

Ex-EastEnders star James Alexandrou explores the truth about Britain's favourite illegal drug, from cannabis sold on the street to the hidden world of organised crime. EPISODE 1 OF 2. Exploring the use and effects of Britain's most popular illegal drug.

James Alexandrou was caught smoking cannabis by the tabloids when he left the soap. Now he wants to find out the truth about the most popular illegal drug in Britain, see the lengths people will go to get it and discover exactly where it comes from.

In the first of two programs, James looks at the effects of the drug on the streets of Britain, meeting a 17-year-old who smokes weed with his parents and a mum-of-three who uses cannabis to keep her emotions in check. He meets people who are growing cannabis illegally for themselves and goes out on patrol with a police drug squad as they clamp down on large-scale cannabis growers. He also travels to California, the first state in America to license cannabis for medicinal use.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

MARIJUANA A Chronic History (Full Version)
The fight against drug use in America has been going on since the turn of the last century but the term "War on Drugs" only became part of our national dialogue in 1970 when it was first used by President Richard Nixon. The President later formed the DEA and started a push to outlaw drugs of all kinds. Among the most discussed drugs in this war is Marijuana. This special will look at the storied and strange history of Marijuana in America.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Two Initiative Petitions Approved for Circulation for 2012 Ballot

Jefferson City, MO – Secretary of State Robin Carnahan today announced that two initiative petitions relating to cannabis have met state standards for circulation.
The ballot title for the first petition relating to cannabis reads:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

legalize cannabis (commonly known as marijuana) for individuals 21 years or older;

make medical cannabis available to individuals with a physician’s recommendation including those under 21 with parental or legal guardian consent and physician supervision;

create licensing processes for operation of cannabis establishments;

release individuals incarcerated or on probation or parole for non-violent, cannabis-only offenses which would no longer be illegal and expunge all records related to such offenses; and

allow the legislature to enact a tax on the retail sale of dried cannabis up to $100 per pound?

Annual state government operating costs would increase by at least $1 million with the total increase being unknown. Those costs would be offset by an unknown increase in fee and tax revenues. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is unknown with some increase in revenue possible.

The petition, which would amend Article IV of the Missouri Constitution, was submitted by Mr. Dan Viets, 15 North 10th Street, Columbia, MO 65201.
The ballot title for the second petition relating to cannabis reads:

Shall Missouri law be amended to:

legalize cannabis (commonly known as marijuana) for individuals 21 years or older;

make medical cannabis available to individuals with a physician’s recommendation including those under 21 with parental or legal guardian consent and physician supervision;

create licensing processes for operation of cannabis establishments;

release individuals incarcerated or on probation or parole for non-violent, cannabis-only offenses which would no longer be illegal and expunge all records related to such offenses; and

allow the legislature to enact a tax on the retail sale of dried cannabis up to $100 per pound?

Annual state government operating costs would increase by at least $1 million with the total increase being unknown. Those costs would be offset by an unknown increase in fee and tax revenues. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is unknown with some increase in revenue possible.

The petition, which would amend Chapters 105, 195 and 263 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, was also submitted by Mr. Dan Viets, 15 North 10th Street, Columbia, MO 65201.

Before any constitutional changes can be brought before Missouri voters in the November 2012 election, signatures must be obtained from registered voters equal to eight (8) percent of the total votes cast in the 2008 governor's election from six of the state's nine congressional districts. For statutory changes, signatures must be obtained from registered voters equal to five (5) percent of the total votes cast in the 2008 governor's election from six of the state's nine congressional districts.

Signatures on behalf of all initiative petitions for the 2012 ballot are due to the Secretary of State’s office by no later than 5 p.m. on May 6, 2012.

Before circulating petitions, state law requires that groups must first have the form of their petition approved by the Secretary of State and Attorney General. The Secretary of State then prepares a summary statement of no more than 100 words and the State Auditor prepares a fiscal impact statement, both of which are subject to the approval of the Attorney General. When both statements are approved, they become the official ballot title.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Thursday, November 3, 2011

A landmark study in mice identifies a biological mechanism that could help explain how tobacco products could act as gateway drugs, increasing a person's future likelihood of abusing cocaine and perhaps other drugs as well, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study is the first to show that nicotine might prime the brain to enhance the behavioral effects of cocaine.
Read more: Study examines nicotine as a gateway drug

What We Have to Say About Legalizing Marijuana

By: Gil Kerlikowske

When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.

Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.

As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.

That is why the President's National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we've seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We're also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.

Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.

When Gallup first asked about legalizing marijuana, in 1969, 12% of Americans favored it, while 84% were opposed. Support remained in the mid-20s in Gallup measures from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but has crept up since, passing 30% in 2000 and 40% in 2009 before reaching the 50% level in this year's Oct. 6-9 annual Crime survey.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States." The National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009 found that "16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, an increase over the rates reported in all years between 2002 and 2008."

The advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws claims that marijuana is the third-most-popular recreational drug in America, behind only alcohol and tobacco. Some states have decriminalized marijuana's use, some have made it legal for medicinal use, and some officials, including former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, have called for legalizing its use.

Support for legalizing marijuana is directly and inversely proportional to age, ranging from 62% approval among those 18 to 29 down to 31% among those 65 and older. Liberals are twice as likely as conservatives to favor legalizing marijuana. And Democrats and independents are more likely to be in favor than are Republicans.

More men than women support legalizing the drug. Those in the West and Midwest are more likely to favor it than those in the South.

Bottom Line

Support for legalizing marijuana has been increasing over the past several years, rising to 50% today -- the highest on record. If this current trend on legalizing marijuana continues, pressure may build to bring the nation's laws into compliance with the people's wishes.

Friday, October 14, 2011

We the people want to know when we can have our "perfectly legitimate" discussion on marijuana legalization. Marijuana prohibition has resulted in the arrest of over 20 million Americans since 1965, countless lives ruined and hundreds of billions of tax dollars squandered and yet this policy has still failed to achieve its stated goals of lowering use rates, limiting the drug's access, and creating safer communities.

Isn't it time to legalize and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol? If not, please explain why you feel that the continued criminalization of cannabis will achieve the results in the future that it has never achieved in the past?

Monday, September 12, 2011

(Reuters) - Anybody who's smoked marijuana knows about "the munchies," that desire to eat everything within reach. But a study from France has found that, surprisingly, pot smokers are actually less likely than non-smokers to pack on weight.

Using data covering more than 50,000 U.S. adults, researchers headed by Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at the Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes, France, found that roughly 14 percent to 17 percent of the people reporting that they smoked pot at least three days per week were obese.

That compared with a 22 to 25 percent obesity rate among people who said they had not used pot in the past 12 months.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A man who opened a medical marijuana dispensary in Grays Harbor County, Washington has filed a multimillion-dollar federal claim, alleging that a male sheriff's deputy threatened him with jail to extort sexual favors.
Marcus Searls of Elma, Washington said the deputy was on duty when some of the sexual encounters took place -- and even that the two had sex on the hood of a patrol car. (I think I'd ask $2 million for that time.)

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Nothing drug related to post, I just wanted to thank everyone who dropped by to get us to 1000 views. I know it's not much traffic but it shows that people are looking for information. Some sites get 1000 views in an 10 minutes, I'm not so lucky.

Once again thanks for stopping by, tell your friends and fell free to submit anything you would like to see on the site.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is the driving force behind a 2012 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Colorado. It is a locally based effort being carried out by a broad and growing coalition of activists, organizations, businesses, and professionals throughout the state and across the nation.

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012 makes the adult use of marijuana legal, establishes a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol, and allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp. Click here to read the full initiative language. Passage of this initiative will be historic, resulting in Colorado becoming the first state in the nation – and the first geographic area in the world – to make the possession, use, and regulated production and distribution of marijuana legal for adults.

The Campaign’s first goal is to collect roughly 85,000 valid signatures of registered Colorado voters, which are needed to qualify the measure for next year’s election. This is no easy feat, and it is our hope that marijuana reform supporters from around the state will get involved in the effort to place this initiative on the ballot. By joining the campaign today you can help end marijuana prohibition in Colorado next year and be part of something that will be written about in history books for years to come.

We all know that a lot of people are harmed by prohibition, but who benefits? Strangely enough, some of the biggest beneficiaries are the bootleggers. Sure, they take a big risk, but black marketeers don't have to pay taxes, they're protected from foreign competition, and they benefit from artificially inflated prices. Talk about protectionism.

What kind of message would an honest American Marijuana Growers Association have for us? "Thank you for your support of marijuana prohibition and buy American pot!"

"Buy American Pot" PSA was produced by Paul Feine, Alex Manning, and Hawk Jensen. Approximately 1.15 minutes.

The farmer is played by Alexandra Fulton. Visit her at http://web.me.com/supersonicstarshine/Alexandra_Fulton/Alexandra_Fulton.html

Saturday, June 18, 2011

I'm going to be posting US state laws mostly so there is no misconception of what is legal an what isn't. However it is not these laws are not to be used as the basis of any illegal action. Just because X amount of grams won't get jail time doesn't mean you should be careless.

As a New Yorker this had to be my first post on state laws. So lets begin.Is there a Medical Program? NoIs it Decriminalized? Yes

Possession of 25 grams or less (first offense) is a civil citation punishable by a fine of $100, no criminal charge.

Possession of less than 25 grams, second offense, is also not a crime, and carries a fine of $200.

Possession of less than 25 grams, third offense, is a misdemeanor, punishable by 5 days in jail and/or a $250 fine.

Possession of 25 grams to 2 oz is a misdemeanor, punishable by 3 months and a $500 fine.

Possession of 2 to 8 oz is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Possession of 8 to 16 oz (first felony) is a class E felony, punishable by 1-4 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. If it is the second offense, the jail time is 3-4 years with a mandatory ½ time jail sentence.

Possession of 1 to 10lbs (first felony) is a class D felony, punishable by 1-15 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. If it is the second offense, it is mandatory to serve at least ½ of the sentence.

Possession of more than 10lbs (first felony) is a class C felony, punishable by 1-15 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. If it is the second offense, it is mandatory to serve at least ½ of the sentence.

The distribution or cultivation of 2 oz or less with no compensation is a class B misdemeanor, and is punishable by 3 months in jail and/or a $500 fine.

The distribution or cultivation of 25 grams or less for compensation is a class A misdemeanor, and is punishable by 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

The distribution or cultivation of 25 grams to 4 oz (first felony) is a class E felony, punishable by 1-4 years in prison, and a $5,000 fine. If it is the second felony, there is a 3-4 year prison sentence, with a mandatory ½ time served.

The distribution or cultivation of 4 to 16 oz (first felony) is a class D felony, punishable by 1-7 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. You can get probation if you have no prior felony on your record.

The distribution or cultivation of 1lb to 10lb (first felony) is a class C felony, punishable by 1-15 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. If it is a second felony, the offender must serve at least half of the sentence.

The distribution or cultivation of 10lbs or more (first felony) is a class C felony, punishable by 1-15 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. If it is a second felony, the offender must serve at least half of the sentence.

The sale of any amount to a minor (first felony) is a class D felony, punishable by 1-7 years in prison and a $5,000 fine, in addition to the other related distribution charges.

Possession of ‘dirty’ paraphernalia is a misdemeanor punishable by 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Possession of any amount which is burning or open to public view is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 3 months in jail and a $500 fine.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy supports the measure, which would eliminate the misdemeanor offense from possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana. It would instead result in a $150 fine for a first offense and a fine ranging from $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses.

“Let me make it clear - we are not legalizing the use of marijuana. In modifying this law, we are recognizing that the punishment should fit the crime, and acknowledging the effects of its application,” Malloy said in a statement. “There is no question that the state’s criminal justice resources could be more effectively utilized for convicting, incarcerating and supervising violent and more serious offenders.”

Friday, June 3, 2011

Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) signed S. 17 into law. Vermont will now authorize up to four dispensaries to sell medical marijuana to patients in the state.

Vermont is now the 8th state (Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico and Rhode Island)with a law that explicitly authorizes dispensaries where patients can legally purchase medical marijuana. (And, overall, medical marijuana is legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia.)

This was a major victory for MPP and patient advocates. MPP funded a two-year lobbying campaign in Montpelier to pass the measure. We started by finding the best bill sponsors we could find, including then-Senate President Pete Shumlin. We then helped elect Shumlin to the governorship through our political action committee.

A coalition of Colorado and national drug reform groups Friday filed eight initiatives designed to amend the state constitution to legalize marijuana. It was the opening move in an effort to put the question to Colorado voters on the November 2012 ballot.

The groups lining up behind the initiatives are SAFER, Sensible Colorado, the Drug Policy Alliance, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy, as well as prominent Colorado marijuana attorneys and members of the state's thriving medical marijuana industry.

While the initiatives vary slightly from one another -- part of a bid by organizers to ensure they come up with the best language and pass the scrutiny of state election officials -- they all have as their core the legalization of the possession of up to an ounce by adults over 21, the legalization of the growing of up to six plants and possession of their yield, and the creation of a system of regulated commercial marijuana production and sales. (See the draft language for the base initiative here.)

Let's hope this does better that prop 19, but it is great to see the choice offered to the people.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

One of the only time you will see Fox news on my site. Trust nothing you see on this network.

"Half of what we spend on law enforcement, courts, and prisons is drug related. It costs $70 billion per year. We're arresting 1.8 million people a year in this country. And, we now have 2.3 million people behind bars. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world" says Gary Johnson, GOP presidential candidate and former New Mexico Governor.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

A judge on Thursday ordered the California Highway Patrol to return two pounds of marijuana seized during an arrest in August 2010.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge John Spaunor ordered the police to return the personal property of Kevin Smith (not the famous movie director) of Sacramento after the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office dismissed DUI and marijuana possession charges against him.

Defense attorney Alex Veylupek said charges were dismissed in March after experts agreed that Smith did not have sufficient THC content in his bloodstream to cause impairment.

Veylupek said Smith has a rare medical condition that caused him to blackout behind the wheel while driving on Fair Oaks Boulevard last year. He also said Smith has a doctor’s prescription for up to three pounds of medical marijuana.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Governor Jack Markell on Friday signed SB 17 into law, making it legal for Delaware residents with certain serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

The law goes into effect on July 1 and will permit people diagnosed with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, decompensated cirrhosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), agitation of Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intractable nausea, severe seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms, wasting syndrome, and severe debilitating pain that has not responded to other treatments, or for which treatments produced serious side effects, to possess up to six ounces of marijuana without fear of arrest.

San Jose, California now has its first month's worth of marijuana tax in hand. "As of May 10, 73 medical marijuana collectives have remitted approximately $290,000 in taxes for the month of March," the city announced on Friday.

Starting March 1, San Jose slapped a seven percent tax on medical marijuana dispensaries under a measure city voters overwhelmingly approved last November. Even though San Jose officially considers all 100 or so of its dispensaries to be unlawful, pot providers are still required to pay the special marijuana tax to the cash-strapped city.

Most dispensary owners always assumed taxation would also mean legal acceptance, but now it appears the beleaguered providers will be catching it from both sides: they're still subject to police raids at the same time they are responsible for paying taxes.

This is a great step forward but it is also dis hearting that even when paying tax you are still subjected to being raided.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Scott Morgan is a professional marijuana legalization activist currently working in Washington, D.C. and he needs our help saving medical marijuana in America.

Scott is trying to get the message out that the Dept. of Justice is launching a new effort to destroy medical marijuana laws, which is a violation of Obama and Holder's promises that state laws allowing medical marijuana would be respected under this administration.

We're challenging these actions on multiple fronts, but what I'm asking from reddit is simple. Please just take a minute to visit the White House contact page, http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact , and politely remind the President that you support medical marijuana and oppose federal interference with state laws protecting patients. That's all.

Once again lets get out and support this movement, the apathy about prohibition won't help anyone.

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire on Thursday gave her approval to the new medical marijuana proposal being developed in the state Senate. The new measure is the offshoot of the legislation the governor weakened last week.

Medical marijuana has been legal in WA since voters approved it in 1998, but patients can still be arrested and lack safe access, which SB 5073 would have fixed.

According to Gregoire, Sen. Jeanne Kohlp-Welles's latest bill is "absolutely mindful" of the reason for the governor's "partial veto" of 5073 (which removed almost all useful portions of the original bill): her supposed concern that state employees might be prosecuted for administering a medical marijuana program.

I love the fact that more and more states are taking up the cause, but a state law is a state law until there is a federal change it will always be a uphill battle. The war on drugs just doesn't work. It never will

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Legalize 2012 is putting a citizen's initiative on the ballot in Colorado in 2012 to amend the Constitution to re-legalize cannabis and hemp for all uses. The Legalize 2012 Project is a grassroots organization working with all cannabis activists in the state to write an initiative that has a broad base of support.

For medical cannabis patients, the Legalize 2012 Constitutional Amendment is an important step in fixing Amendment 20, Colorado's flawed medical marijuana law that was passed by voters in 2000. Amendment 20 was poorly-written by out-of-state interests and has allowed the state to take over the medical marijuana program to the point where there is now a new branch of law enforcement dedicated to fingerprinting and videotaping patients and tracking every gram of cannabis from "seed to sale." Citizens can write a better initiative that will allow all adult Coloradans to have safe access to cannabis, thus protecting the rights of sick people to also have unfettered, safe access.

Get involved in the real grassroots effort to put an initiative on the ballot in Colorado: Legalize 2012.